Your guide to the educational opportunities at CBA’s summer show

Marking its 61st anniversary in a Midwest location for the first time in years, CBA’s international convention will be held in St. Louis, June 27-30. The International Christian Retail Show (ICRS), at America’s Center, has the theme “Real People, Real Impact: It’s Why We Do What We Do.”

CBA Chairman-elect George Thomsen told Christian Retailing that this year’s theme is “about coming together as an industry.”

“No matter how our businesses are doing, where we’re located, what country we’re from or what competitors we might be facing, our business is about ministry,” he said. “And it’s about making a real impact in the lives of the people we serve.”

Like last year, the 2010 show runs from Sunday morning to Wednesday lunchtime. CBA has nearly tripled the number of workshops and educational offerings—available for free to members. The 13 training workshops include the annual Prospective Retailer Seminar as well as topics such as bargain book strategies and using social media.

“I don’t know what our past workshop fees were, but (they were) not expensive—particularly if the retailer purchased a workshop bundle,” Thomsen said. “CBA recognizes that retailers’ budgets are much tighter this year, yet the need for training remains. That is why we have made the adjustment.”

And since retailers often learn best from one another, a Retailer Idea Exchange Breakfast—a favorite of retailers—is scheduled for Tuesday morning.

Additional registration for the workshops is required for non-CBA members.

Sunday, June 27

International attendees are invited to the International Vision Celebration & Luncheon, which runs 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Additional registration is required for the event sponsored by ChristianTrade International and featuring Remi Morgan, a pastor at The Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria and operator of the largest Nigerian Christian products distributorship. The event will include lunch and reports from the Christian trade worldwide.

From 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., General Session: Digital/Mortar: Store Value in a Digital Age will examine the digital e-books trend.

The Worship Him service, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., will feature best-selling author Randy Alcorn (Tyndale House Publishers) speaking, while Jeremy Camp (EMI CMG) and The Museum (EMI CMG) will lead in a time of worship.

The Pacesetter event follows at 7:30 p.m., with Phil Vischer (Tyndale House Publishers) and Stephen Kendrick (B&H Publishing Group) as well as Blackwood Brothers (New Day), Sisters (New Day Christian Distributors), and Gold City (Provident-Integrity Distribution) celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Southern gospel music. The CBA Spirit of Excellence Awards also will be presented at the Pacesetter event.

Monday, June 28

The Prospective Retailer Seminar, running 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., shows ICRS attendees who are thinking about opening a store how to start a successful business, creating business plans, understand customers, have adequate capital and offer customers the best inventory assortment possible. When the two-day seminar ends, attendees will have the opportunity to meet with sponsoring suppliers to discuss their retail business.

Merchandising Workshop, running 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., offers eight free merchandising demonstrations in product categories such as apparel, fiction, fine art, gifts, jewelry, study Bibles, family entertainment and CBA channel exclusives. As with last year, the 30-minute demonstrations will be led by suppliers as they engage attendees in hands-on exercises for effective showcasing of the products. At press time, the schedule for the demonstrations was not finalized.

From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m, New Marketing: Using Social Media to Market Your Store will offer marketing tips for retailers to build an online community.

Drill Down: Digital Solutions, running 3-4:30 p.m., will feature a panel of industry leaders and digital experts to discuss the future of the Christian retail store in terms of today’s increasingly digital environment.

The popular Children’s Product Trends session, to be held 3-4:30 p.m. and again led by children’s author and expert Mary Manz Simon, will help retailers understand the latest trends and research in children’s products in order to improve and grow this category in their store. Select product samples will be provided, and retailers must be in attendance to receive them.

Simon has conducted a survey, available online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JYJTXG5, about children’s resources. Retailers who complete the survey will receive a free copy of the results during the children’s workshop.

“Digi-kids are immersed in technology, media and entertainment,” she said. “Pop culture is a strong influencer. Yet against this glitzy mindscape, researchers consistently emphasize the importance of reaching children for Christ during their early years.

“Each of us—whether retailer, vendor or publisher—faces challenges as we seek to carry out the words of Jesus ‘to let the children come.’ ”

Tuesday, June 29

The Retail Idea Exchange Breakfast for Christian stores of all types and sizes runs 7-8:30 a.m.

The Future of Christian Retail as Told by Your Customers, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., will present the latest consumer data and research regarding shoppers’ purchasing behavior.

Also running 8:30-9:30 a.m., Church Store Specific: Using Social Media to Market Your Church Store will help church retailers to utilize social media to build a stronger community around their stores.

An additional Merchandising Workshop runs 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Church Store Specific: Aligning Church Leadership with Your Ministry, to be held 10-11 a.m., will offer church retailers tips on how they can bring church leadership on board with their stores.

Also running 10-11 a.m., Differentiate Your Store with Knowledgeable Frontliners will help retailers train their staff in customer-service disciplines as well as provide the latest product information from leading suppliers.

The Prospective Retailer Seminar continues Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Wednesday, June 30

The show wraps up Wednesday, ending with several workshops. New Marketing: How to Reach Your Customers on a Shoestring Budget, running 8:30-9:30 a.m., will show retailers how to implement low-budget techniques into their marketing plan.

Also in the 8:30 a.m. hour, Christian Store Day: It’s Coming, Are You Prepared? promises to help draw more customers into stores and strengthen retailers’ presence in the community.

More Merchandising Workshop sessions run 9-10:30 a.m., on niche areas.

From 10 to 11 a.m., Surviving Tough Times: Bargain Book Strategies for Success will help retailers tap into bargain books to help drive traffic and sales.

Also in the 10:00 hour, Increasing Traffic & Sales Through Book Clubs
will focus on increasing foot traffic and sales by offering retailers pointers on how to open their stores as meeting places for church and community groups.

ICRS highlights

In addition to workshops on using social media and navigating through today’s increasingly digital environment, CBA will open ICRS on Sunday with Digital/Mortar: Store Value in a Digital Age.

The General Session will feature a panel—including EMI CMG Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President David Crace; Mardel Christian & Education President Jason Green; Evangelical Christian Publishers Association President and CEO Mark Kuyper; Powell’s Books Director of Web Stuff Darin Sennett; and Google Director of Strategic Partnerships Amanda Edmonds—discussing the role that stores will play as e-books and e-readers continue to gain popularity.

Meanwhile, bargain product suppliers will be spotlighted in the new Bargain Boulevard section of the exhibit floor.

“Bargain product has been an area of growth in the past year for many retailers finding new avenues of profitability in the recession,” Thomsen said. “By perusing bargain booths conveniently clustered together in the same area, retailers will be able to see all the bargain product available to help them sell more to budget-conscious customers.”

Also new this year is the Family Entertainment Theatre, which will offer attendees a convenient location where they can view movie screenings and learn about upcoming film projects. Elsewhere, the Debut Avenue section of the exhibit floor will feature new products by suppliers exhibiting at the show for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Marketsquare area of the exhibit floor will again be the central meeting place to conduct international business and rights negotiations at the convention.

VeggieTales co-creator Phil Vischer will be featured during Sunday evening’s Pacesetter, while popular speaker and best-selling author Josh McDowell will lead the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony that opens the exhibit floor Monday.

Scheduled for the last day of the event, the Heart of the Author Breakfast will feature several authors, including Tosca Lee, Robin Caroll and James Rubart (B&H Publishing Group); Lynn DeShazo, Eleanor Clark and Janet Ruth (WinePress Publishing); Frank Pastore (Tyndale House Publishers); and Brian Zahnd (Charisma House/Strang Book Group).